Getting started with Kombucha

I recall vividly the first time I tried a taste of Kombucha. My hubs insisted that I’d love it! I’m always open to trying new things, so with gusto I took a huge gulp. And then it hit me; I didn’t know what to do!! I couldn’t just spew it all over the place, but I had to do something as this glob of slime was assaulting my mouth! I grabbed a glass and spit it out. He’s shockingly saying, “What are you doing?” I’m giving him the stink eye, and challenging him to tell me “what the heck is in – this Frog slime??” To which he informs me “that’s the BEST PART”… really?? Seriously? I just took a swig of something that my taste buds thought was a little vinegary, only to be completely convinced he was trying to play a joke on me and have me drink frog slime At first I refused to try it again, firmly stating that I was NOT going to drink anything that had a glob of slime in it! (We’ll get back to overcoming my slime fear later)This went on for a few months, as bottle after empty Kombucha bottle started to invade an entire cupboard in my kitchen! When I inquired as to whether I could recycle these bottles, he informed me he was saving them for when ‘I’ learned how to make it for us. Deep down inside, I might have been thinking, “brew your own Kombucha!”. I don’t know where he got the idea that there was an ‘us’ in the consumption end of learning to make this. However, the deciding factor that convinced me to make our own ‘brew’ was when I saw the cost of store bought ‘bucha’ and I had $300’s worth of empties!I have to say; I’m a fairly accomplished cook, I grow and preserve a lot of our food. I grew up making sauerkraut with my grandmother, so I understood fermenting, and thought. ‘How hard can it be?’ So I did what most people do when wanting to learn how to make Kombucha, I hit the Internet, and googled everything I could find on it. There were so many sites, and although the directions seemed pretty similar, it also seemed a little overwhelming! So I’m sharing with you how I went about making it not as overwhelming and scary for me to start. The first thing is to get organized, before you even start growing your scoby! Source out your jar for fermenting, and your bottles that you’ll use for your second ferment (otherwise known as 2F) my hubs actually went dumpster diving in the glass recycling bins to find our brew jars! Seriously!! I scrubbed those jars spotless, and then put them into the dishwasher, cranked up the heat just to ensure I’d disinfected them completely. I also washed all those store bought Kombucha bottles and caps.In my search of ‘how to’ there were a few options to growing a Scoby, I opted for the least expensive one (not that I’m cheap) I just didn’t want to invest a lot of $$ into something that if I didn’t get it right, I’d have to end up tossing it. I opted to buy a bottle of GT Kombucha, so I searched for a bottle with the most slime in the bottom of it, that ‘frog slime’ was/is a beautiful symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast, or in booch speak, a ‘baby scoby’.Although we went dumpster diving for our 4 liter (gallon) jars and I went for the cheapo scoby, I didn’t go cheap on my tea. Now I’ve read lots about using any old tea out there, I have to disagree; I think the quality of your Kombucha is directly related to how good your tea is. (I’ll discuss teas in a future post)I personally use different teas now for their different medicinal properties, and often blend teas, however, you should have a few scoby’s going before you jump into mixing tea blends.As a beginner, I recommend sticking to tea bags, as you go, you’ll be more confident and can use loose-leaf teas. My preferred tea to use is Tetley Pure Ceylon Tea. It’s a really wonderful Black tea from Sri Lanka. I use 6 tea bags in my starter tea.Organic sugar or table sugar? That’s a personal preference, you’re scoby can’t tell the difference, it’s more about the pesticides and chemicals used in the growing process. ALL sugar is refined and processed in some way. There is zero difference when it comes to calories or taste. Regular white table sugar will not harm or kill your scoby, again, it’s completely your personal preference, and both will work exactly the way your scoby needs it to.Also, your scoby NEEDS the sugar to consume, grow and stay healthy, so you need to add the required amount (it’s not like a cake where we can sub in applesauce, or use less sugar while baking)When you’ve got all your tools, jars are clean, hands are clean, counter is clean, Kombucha bottle purchased, leave it out of the fridge for the day to warm up. Brew your tea, add your sugar, allow it to completely cool, add the entire bottle of Kombucha to your sweet tea. Cover, and store in a warm spot out of sunlight (I keep mine in my walk in closet) In 3 weeks time you’ll have this beautiful plump scoby that no longer resembles frog slime it’ll now look like a placenta!!! I think that’s why it’s also referred to as “the Mother.”

Kombucha News

Having grown up in the Midwest and being of German and Dutch descent, I LOVE all things bread. Unfortunately most types of commercially available baked goodies can leave me with excess phlegm build up – a biofeedback signal from my … Continue reading → Read more
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Who loves bubbles in their beverage? We do! In fact, most Kombucha homebrewers desire more fizz in their brew. Any why not? It’s fun, adds texture and flavor, looks cool in the glass and reminds many people of good times. How exciting when a new Booch is opened, bubbles rush madly upward, increasing exponentially, frothing to the top of the bottle and spilling forth gently! There may even be a secret reason we crave those carbonated quaffs…could it be nutrition? Natural fizz – the kind found when bottling Kombucha, JUN and Kefir homebrews – indicates the presence of living yeast, which contain B-vitamins that the body can use in bioavailable form. Usually, if carbonation is a problem, the issue is not enough bubbles (See Carbonation Techniques Basic & Carbonation Techniques Advanced for more help with those issues). However too much of a good thing can transform pleasantly bubbly Booch to messy geyser or even bottle bomb under the wrong combination of conditions. Signs of over-fermentation when bottling Kombucha, Jun or kefir include bubbles leaking from the top, hissing sounds as CO2 tries to escape any which way, and stressed or bulging caps. The good news is that it’s pretty easy to avoid a mess when bottling Kombucha or any fermented drink at most times of the year, especially cooler seasons when carbonation can be a fickle friend. But as temperatures rise, the yeast become more active, and coupled with sugar in the form of fruit or flavorings (especially pureed fruit – see below), the excessive pressure produced by this dynamic duo is the issue to be on the lookout for. Kombucha Mamma Sez: “You might be thinking, “What about plastic bottles? Problem solved!” We say “PASS!” While some people reuse soda or water bottles, they are made of material not designed for the acidity of any of our favorite fermented drinks. Even in one use they can absorb a plastic flavor. We’ve never felt comfortable with the risk or the taste when bottling Kombucha, but if it makes any homebrewer feel more at ease, then by all means use them.” Things That Go “Bang” in the Night (or Day) We’ve heard more than one story of loud, unexplained crashes rudely interrupting a night of sleep, causing great confusion and even fear (“Is … Continue reading → Read more
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…with Trish Carty We are thrilled to introduce Trish Carty, who is not only an amazing holistic chef, nutritional therapist and a whole foods advocate but also a great friend. We first met a few years ago at the Freestone Fermentation Festival and have been exchanging health tips and advice ever since. I really love her enthusiastic nature and gentle approach. If you have a question for Trish, leave it in the comments! ~ Hannah In part 2 of the detoxification series, we will cover an in-depth study of the body as it relates to detoxification. How do the systems within your body operate optimally? What are the 5 foundations that are considered top priority when addressing detoxification? What happens when the body is overloaded with toxins? What are the modern day toxins we need to be aware of? How do we remove them from our surrounding environment? In part 1 of our study of detoxification, we covered what, why and how to start a safe detoxification program. How did you rate in the toxicity quiz and did you start the 14 day elimination challenge? In this five part series, we are going to discuss all aspects of detoxification. PART 1: We will start with: what, why, and how to start a detoxification process for your body. PART 2: What are the 5 major factors that impact your body? What are the modern day toxicants to be aware of and how to remove them from the surrounding environment? PART 3: Herbal remedies, foods and ancient methods to enhance the detox process. PART 4: A 21 day challenge- How to properly clear the toxins out of your detox pathways. PART 5: Reintroduction of foods and how to maintain a constant natural chelating process. How Do The Systems Within The Body Operate Optimally? One of the biggest challenges we face when it comes to barriers to healing is the toxic load within the body. If we look at the body from north to south, digestion is the first system to consider. The intestines main function is to provide a physical barrier to prevent chemicals and foreign molecules from entering the body. Our intestinal tract should contain mostly “good” bacteria that assist in the detoxification of many substances. Normal detoxification processes that take place during digestion depend on two things: Maintenance of the precise bacterial and chemical environment (pH) Integrity of the GI membrane Changes in either of these can affect the entire body. If there is an imbalance in the intestinal flora, like an overgrowth of bad bacteria in relation to the good bacteria, a host of problems can occur. Leaky gut is one such example. It occurs when the intestinal wall is damaged, which then allows undigested foods and other contaminants to leak into the blood stream. This is just one problem of many, where the gut flora is compromised. If digestion is impaired, even the most perfect diet can clog the body’s detoxification pathways. Poor fat digestion clogs the lymph and therefore the liver. When we talk about detoxification within the body, it is important to know that the organs most involved in the process are the intestines, liver and gallbladder. The 5 Major Foundations for Addressing Detoxification Digestion Blood sugar balance Mineral balance Fatty acid balance Hydration Digestion The liver’s main function within the body is to clean and purify the blood that nourishes the whole body. This is just one of 500 functions the liver performs. Once the toxicants are filtered from the blood, they can then be neutralized in preparation for elimination from the body. This includes the breakdown and disposal of pharmaceutical drugs, alcohol and other environmental pollutants. The neutralized toxicants pass to the gallbladder in bile and are over time excreted out of the body as feces. The kidneys handle the toxins for elimination through urine. The skin and respiratory systems play a role in ridding the body of waste products as well through the sweat glands. Blood Sugar Balance Blood sugar regulation is important to look at when addressing detoxification. Elevated cortisol levels and general blood sugar imbalances stress the liver. Blood sugar imbalances also deplete the body’s store of B vitamins, which are essential for vitality and proper functioning. Chronically high blood sugar levels create a buildup of free radicals and a general catabolic state, which robs the nutrients needed by the body to detoxify properly. Mineral Balance The detoxification process can create acidic blood. Minerals help to minimize this condition. Toxins deplete minerals like magnesium. If that happens, it can lead to a deficiency of enzymes that are essential in healthy Phase 1 liver detoxification. Certain minerals prevent heavy metals from collecting in tissues. Since heavy metals are minerals, following the principle of isopathy (like controls like), they need to be kept in balance by other minerals. Molybdenum and manganese activate metabolic and detox enzymes. Chelation agents like Vitamin C deplete minerals, requiring replacement. Fatty acid balance Fat tissue helps the body to store difficult to remove toxic waste such as metals, petroleum and much more. The liver metabolizes fats into forms that are usable. Proper digestion and ingestion of fats causes less liver stress. The bile is built on healthy fat. It is the so called “river” by which the toxins are removed from the body through the intestinal tract. The proper balance of dietary fat is crucial to maintaining a proper permeable membrane. This allows the wastes to be removed from the inside of the cell in a timely manner. Hydration is necessary to ensure the body is flushing regularly. These functions include elimination and perspiration. Lungs require proper hydration along with the blood fluid working properly to distribute toxins to the lymph and liver. What Happens When the Body is Overloaded With Toxins? A toxin is any substance that creates harmful effects in the body. Toxins can come from internal and external sources. When the body is overloaded with toxins, each of these systems and foundation parts are impacted by a host of disease and illnesses. If not addressed in a specific way, the body has barriers to healing. If energy is a chief complaint for someone it is important to look at the overall toxic load that person has. Some of the major barriers to healing are what is known as a multi- function illness. Those barriers to healing that are the major players are as follows: Toxicity Nutritional deficiencies Neuroendrocrine disorders Immune system dysregulation It is important therefore, to have a way to clear out the toxins in your body on an annual or semi- annual time frame. How Do We Remove Them From Our Surrounding Environment? Begin to understand what are the major toxicants in your immediate environment is the first step to then remove and replace the toxins with better options. Some of the types of toxins we are exposed to on a daily basis are: Air and water pollution EMF- Electromagnetic field Radiation Chemicals of all kinds Heavy metal exposure GMO’s and processed foods and gluten Stress Cellular/Metabolic Wastes Fungal/parasitic/bacterial overgrowth Poorly digested food In conclusion, reducing the toxic load for the body is crucial to the proper functioning of the body. Simple steps can be taken. Learn how to make your cleaning products that are inexpensive and with no toxic chemicals for example. In conclusion: 1. Educate yourself on the perils of toxins. For archived articles on this and many more subjects, visit the links below. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins‎ www.wapf.org 2. Clean up your sources for foods and water. Get your water in your home tested. 3. Find out if you have a sensitivity to gluten or have an autoimmune disease. Go to www.cyrexlabs.com 4. Take the quiz to discover your level of toxicity (pdf) 5. Report back in the comments column for support and questions. References: Primal body, Primal Mind by Nora GegadousSpecial Inner Circle Audio Interview by Dr Joseph Mercola Klinghardt, 2008 Apex Seminars – Leaky Gut and more, Introduction of Cyrex Laboratories Dr. Jeanette Birnbach, 2011 The Energy Seminar Dr Jeanette Birnbach, Standard Process, 2014 Trish Carty, NTP, CHFS, CGPTrish is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Professional Chef, Certified Healing Foods Specialist and Certified Gaps Practitioner and her specialties are digestion, blood sugar handling, and adrenal and thyroid deregulation. She loves to empower people to cook real foods and holds fermentation classes around the world through her blog and business www.keepthebeet.com Read more
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…with Trish Carty We are thrilled to introduce Trish Carty, who is not only an amazing holistic chef, nutritional therapist and a whole foods advocate but also a great friend. We first met a few years ago at the Freestone Fermentation Festival and have been exchanging health tips and advice ever since. I really love her enthusiastic nature and gentle approach. If you have a question for Trish, leave it in the comments! ~ Hannah Part 1: Rites of Spring – Detoxification We all know that one of the important benefits of consuming kombucha, is its ability to detoxify the body in a gentle way. Detoxification is important because we are exposed to many toxicants on a daily basis. We are exposed to over 800 different types of chemicals in the air, water, and the food supply. While the amount of toxicants might be minute, over time they accumulate in the body. If the buildup is not removed, it leads to many problems in the body. In this five part series, we are going to discuss all aspects of detoxification. PART 1: We will start with: what, why, and how to start a detoxification process for your body. PART 2: What are the 5 major factors that impact your body? What are the modern day toxicants to be aware of and how to remove them from the surrounding environment? PART 3: Herbal remedies, foods and ancient methods to enhance the detox process. PART 4: A 21 day challenge- How to properly clear the toxins out of your detox pathways. PART 5: Reintroduction of foods and how to maintain a constant natural chelating process. What Does It Mean To Detoxify Your Body? How is the toxic load in your body? Take this quiz and see! (pdf) Detoxification is the process of nourishing, cleansing and resting the body from the inside out. It works on the cellular function of the body. If the body is functioning at its optimum level, all systems and organs work synergistically giving a sense of wellbeing and create homeostasis. Now is an excellent time of year to prepare the body for detoxification. Typically, most people cleanse their insides two times a year. A spring and fall time frame works great for most people, as they are working with the changing of the seasons. In order to prepare the body for this process, some steps need to be taken first to ensure the body does not detox too quickly. If you do, the process known as a healing crisis can occur. Simply put, the speed at which the body is releasing impurities is too fast and it is not able to keep up with the elimination of those toxins. The signs of a healing crisis manifest in a variety of ways such as: Digestive reactions, such as diarrhea. Allergy-type reactions, such as swelling or rashes. Symptoms that mirror what you are trying to fix. Often it can be a quick and intense response, as the body is releasing the toxins too fast. If this occurs, it would be necessary to step back and slow the process down. Why Is Detoxification Important To Healthy Functioning? The body is exposed to too many toxicants on a daily basis. One of the main ways we can control this toxicity is to be conscious of the foods we put into our mouths. Processed and genetically modified foods are seen by the body as toxicants. If too much food uses excess energy, it leaves us not enough to detoxify our bodies naturally. If the proper micro and macro nutrients are ingested, then the body is able to cleanse naturally. By removing the stresses of inflammatory foods, the body will have a way to clear out the toxins. The industrial revolution brought man-made, fake foods onto the market. Degrading our food a step further are genetically modified foods. Eating real foods in their natural state ensures the best defense against the myriad of challenges we face to stay healthy. Each system within the body is impacted when detoxification is not working properly. It is important to understand all the various systems within the body that are involved in detoxification. These are considered the foundations to detoxification process and must be addressed so to ensure all elimination pathways are open. They include- cardiovascular, lymphatic, digestion, urinary, skin and respiratory systems. Cardiovascular System The blood links every organ in the body flowing into all tissues to deliver nutrients and oxygen to each cell while carrying away metabolic waste. Blood is the communicator for molecules and cleanses detoxification sites such as the liver and is a major factor in keeping the immune system strong. Good health depends on the ability of the blood to perform its functions but it is also very sensitive to toxins. It is the first of the body’s fundamental system’s to be affected and once poisoned by toxicants, it becomes a shuttle and depository for them. Lymphatic System Lymph is another important fluid for detoxification. It is an interstitial fluid that flows through the lymph nodes to filter out viruses, bacteria and organic material. The lymph system is considered a pre-filter for the liver to prevent clogging and liver overload. After the lymph is filtered, it returns to the bloodstream through the thoracic duct in the chest. Lymph flow is much slower than blood flow. The rate is 3 liters/day whereas the blood moves at a rate of 5 liters/a minute! The movement of the lymph is dependent on the action of the skeletal muscles, lungs and contraction of the smooth muscle fibers which means quite simply, that exercise is critical to the health of the lymphatic system. Digestion System There are many functions that go on within the gastrointestinal system besides the physical break down of foods. Other important functions are as follows: Scan food for invaders Detoxify poorly digested, fermented toxicants Filter food and bacteria Eliminate toxicants and other waste substances from the body Urinary System Toxicants exit the body through the digestive tract as feces or the through the kidneys as urine. A primary role of the kidneys is to remove cellular wastes by filtering the blood. Skin Sweat glands are a major gateway of elimination for the body. The surface area of the skin covers 11,000 square feet. Yet another reason why exercise is extremely important to the process of elimination. Respiratory System The lungs eliminate a variety of waste products especially carbon dioxide. Respiratory rate is a major mechanism of maintaining homeostasis by controlling the body’s pH. How Do I Start To Prepare My Body For A Detoxification Process? When you begin this diet, understanding the quality of the foods are of utmost importance. A ratio of 30/40/30 is a good dietary guideline to follow. That means thirty percent is of clean sources of protein. Examples of this are grass fed, pastured poultry and wild caught fish. Forty percent of diet can include complex carbohydrates, which means low glycemic vegetables. Examples are leafy greens, lots of raw and cooked vegetables making up a rainbow of colors and textures. Removing the starchy ones such as potatoes and yams is a must. As a rule, thirty percent shall make up make up the remainder of your diet in good quality fats. Examples include, grass fed ghee, extra virgin, organic oils such as coconut and olive oils. Leaf lard, tallow, duck fat from grass fed animals are great sources to include in this challenge. I also like to include fermented vegetables such as kim chee or sauerkraut. I also like to add bone broths for the in between snacks. It is the natural state of detoxification we must start with as a first step. This begins with an elimination or autoimmune diet for 3 to 6 months. Essentially, these diets consist of the removal of all forms of sugar, dairy, grains, seeds, nuts and caffeine. The body is ready for a 21 day cleanse to further clear out the toxins from your detox pathways. Once the toxins are removed, the goal is continue with natural chelation on a daily basis. An excellent way to maintain this procedure is eat a variety of fermented foods and drinks; such as kombucha. Maintenance program- Two times a year, engage in a 21 day detoxification program. In conclusion: 1. Take the toxic load quiz. 2. Report back your findings in the comment section. 3. Consider trying the elimination whole foods challenge for 14 days. 4. Look for part two in this series for more information on detoxifying your body. References: Introduction To The Human Body- the essentials of anatomy and physiology 7th edition Nutritional Therapy Association- Module12- Nutritional Detoxification Primal body, Primal Mind by Nora Gegadous 7 Day Detox Miracle by Peter Bennett. ND and Stephan Barrie N D with Sara Faye Staying Healthy With Nutrition by Elson M Haas MD Trish Carty, NTP, CHFS, CGP Trish is a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Professional Chef, Certified Healing Foods Specialist and Certified Gaps Practitioner. Her specialties are digestion, blood sugar handling, adrenal and thyroid deregulation. She loves to empower people to cook real foods and holds fermentation classes around the world. Her blog and business is www.keepthebeet.com Read more
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